The 2025 Annual Dolphin Report for North Marco Island

The 10,000 Island Dolphin Research Project is the property of Dolphin Explorer LLC. The program has been monitoring the feeding habits, travel range, social behavior, genealogy, and overall well-being of the local bottlenose dolphin population for 20 years. In addition to documenting the above information, the team has been involved in three life-saving rescues of our local dolphins and was recently named #4 BEST BOAT TOUR in the USA. The study continues…

What an amazing and surprising year the team experienced with our dolphins in 2025. Some of our larger, dominant males may be taking a secondary place in the hierarchy, 10 new baby dolphins were documented, and there were several surprises about the moms that did not give birth this year, but there may be an explanation why this took place. Let’s run down the events for 2025.

First of all, the team set a record for the most documented dolphin sightings in the 20-year history of our study. The program recorded 6,468 sightings of the local, residential dolphins that we could positively identify. This came in light of having 42 fewer excursions than in 2024. This equates to more accurate sightings per excursion. This is an average of 16 dolphins per trip.

Concerning our male population, we must first explain the overall number of dolphins that are local to North Marco Island to fully understand their behavior. Our society consists of more than 40 adult females and only 15 adult males. Of those 15 big boys, six are the dominant ones in the waters. Those six are three pairs of two. Many males will form a pairing, or what is known as a “Male Pair Bond. Two males will hunt, feed, and socialize together. They will also work together when chasing females, especially during mating season.

In our 20 years of study, the team has noted at least 15 male pair bonds. Many of these pairs have come and gone, but the six mentioned here have been on the top of the totem pole for two decades. However, some of them are getting old, and we are seeing some of the younger, healthier males stepping up to challenge for the top spots, for the right to become dominant mating males in the society. Over the next few years, the team anticipates a major change in the “top dogs” of North Marco, and it will be interesting!

Ten new baby dolphins were documented in 2025, the most recent was just seen for the first time on December 26th. This is a first-time mom named Honeymoon, and her calf was named Cookie. Honeymoon’s mom is Cosmo, and this is Cosmo’s first grandbaby, making her the twelfth grandmother in our society. The team had about 15 females who fit the profile to give birth and surprisingly, many of them did not. Females Orange, Patch’s Twin, Skipper, Nibbles, Salsa, Coco, and a few more were very high on our list to have a new calf and, again, did not.

However, the team realized a pretty good reason why these ladies did not produce a new calf. Mating season for our females is primarily September, October, and November. The pregnancy period is one full year, meaning the majority of our births are seen in these same three months, one year later. One of the most dominant males in the area, and likely the father of many of the young dolphins in our waters, a huge male named Hatchet, has not been seen since September 2, 2024.

The above named females may have been waiting for him that Fall, for the purpose of becoming pregnant by a dominant male with a strong gene pool. When Hatchet did not show up in the Fall of 2024, these ladies may have decided to wait another year. If this is true, it explains why these females did not have a new calf in 2025. Hatchet has not been seen since September of 2024, and these females have likely found another male to father their offspring. The team will look for a banner crop of newborns in the Fall of 2026.

The big surprise regarding new calves in 2025 came from some of our offshore females. Moms OG2, Bert, and Salt arrived on the sandbar just north of Big Marco Pass with new babies. In recent years, the team has documented more and more new moms coming close to the Marco shores and raising their newborns for a few months, then returning to their primary habitats. This makes sense since it gives the little ones the opportunity to learn how to breathe and swim in a shallow water environment until the moms are comfortable taking the babies back home.

Overall, the entire bottlenose dolphin community is doing well. There were no hurricanes or tropical depressions in our area to affect our population, and the habitat remained clean and free of toxins. Those youngsters who have already left the care of their moms are forming bonds and thriving. All of the adult females are also doing very well. There has been no loss of life in our community. The adult males, as mentioned above, will experience changes, with some becoming the new dominant males and others holding on to the top spots in our waters.

The team will continue its diligence in documenting our population and reporting its findings to colleges, government agencies, and other dolphin study programs. Stay tuned to Coastal Breeze News for additional updates in the near future!

UPCOMING EVENTS: Yours truly and Dolphin Explorer Biologist James Livaccari will give a more detailed presentation on January 8th at the Marco Island Historical Society at 6:00 PM. Admission is free to MIHS members and only $10 for nonmembers.

January 28: Yours truly will be appearing at the Great Wolf Lodge in Naples with professional Burmese python huntress Amy Siewe to talk about the wild side of Florida wildlife. Both of us will address what we are doing to preserve our environment by eradicating the invasive pythons and maintaining a great home for our dolphin population. Doors open at 6:00 PM, and presentations begin at 6:30 PM and run until 8:30 PM. Parking is free at Great Wolf Lodge, water is free, and tickets at $25 available at exploringwithbob.com

On behalf of the entire team of the Dolphin Explorer, we wish you all a very prosperous and healthy 2026. We are very aware of the financial issues the country has endured in 2025, and we understand the value of every single dollar. That being said, we will not be raising our prices for our tours in 2026 and will remain the least expensive three-hour excursion on Marco Island. HAPPY NEW YEAR!